Canadian Olympic Team Official Website

Maple Leaf Moments: Calgary Says Farewell

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February 28, 2013

The Closing Ceremony for the XV Olympic Winter Games is held at McMahon Stadium in Calgary on February 28, 1988. In its first time as host nation of the Winter Games, Canada finishes with five medals (two silver and three bronze). Alpine skier Karen Percy (Banff, AB), who won two of those bronze medals, is selected to carry the Canadian flag.

The Calgary Games proved to be a dominating one in Figure Skating for the home team with three medals won. The highly anticipated “Battle of the Brians” stole the show in men’s skating with Belleville, ON native Brian Orser coming out with a silver medal. Elizabeth Manley (Baff, AB) won the hearts of the nation by finishing in second place in the women’s individual event with the odds against her and fighting illness. Ice dancing pair Tracy Wilson (Lachine, QC) and Robert McCall (Halifax, NS) rounded out the medal haul with a bronze medal.

Calgary also proved to be historic for being the Olympic debut of Super G Alpine Skiing and for introducing Curling, Freestyle Skiing and Short Track Speed Skating as demonstration events. The world was also given memorable performances by ski jumper Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards of Great Britain who won the adoration of the crowd and the Jamaican National Bobsled team who broke colour barriers in their sport.

Vancouver Lookback: February 28, 2010, marked the day of the “Golden Goal” by Cole Harbour, NS native Sidney Crosby to lead Canada to a 3-2 win in the finals of the Ice Hockey competition in Vancouver. http://bit.ly/XYTy7Y

History will be made in 2016 when Rio de Janeiro, Brazil hosts the Games of the XXXI Olympiad, marking the first time that a South American country will welcome the world to an Olympic Games. It is also just the third time that the Games will be held in the southern hemisphere, following Melbourne 1956 and Sydney 2000.